


Birthday.

by talon6142



Category: OMORI (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-15 19:13:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29069343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/talon6142/pseuds/talon6142
Summary: Sunny had made it to his 18th birthday, and it was time to go back to Faraway, to face his friends after so long.
Relationships: Basil/Sunny (OMORI)
Comments: 29
Kudos: 288





	1. Two flowers.

**Author's Note:**

> a sunnyxbasil fic i threw together across a few days, working on and off... its probably not the most realistic depiction of what would happen after the confession, just something self indulgent i wanted to make. spoilers ahead for the ending of omori. please play it.  
> also, this is my first fic, so i would appreciate any feedback you can give!

The night was cold and dark, the moonlight painting shadows all over the unfamiliar room. Sunny had trouble sleeping in new places before the accident. Now he had trouble sleeping at all. For him, sleep was a dangerous thing. Tonight was especially hard on the boy, because of what tomorrow would bring. Or maybe it was already today, past midnight and all. Maybe he was already 18...

Finally morning. After a night of constant tossing and turning, waking up and drifting back to sleep, the sun finally triumphed over the moon. Sunny immediately got up and out of bed. The sooner he got today over with, the better. His birthday, which for the past 5 years was hardly even a celebration, was about to become the worst day of his new life. It had been a bit longer than a year since they moved out. At this point, he had just started to get out of his shell to the new people around him, but he didn't really have any friends. That only left one option in the mind of his mother for today. It was back to Faraway. Back to the people he hadn't talked to since the confession. They hated him, surely. But Sunny's mother and his therapist insisted that he needed to see them for closure's sake. No matter how much he said he wasn't ready, he was going to Faraway today. He hadn't had any contact with his old friends. Was Kel still playing basketball? Did Aubrey ever dye her hair a different color? How was college treating Hero? How was-  
...  
_Basil had been in therapy, like me, after the confession. Everyone agreed that we should be apart. It wasn't easy for me, but I can only imagine what it was like for him. After everything he did to protect me, after I threw it all away... Would he forgive me?_

Sunny brushed away those thoughts into the back of his mind as he continued getting ready for the day. He decided he'll cross that bridge when he comes to it. His mom called him from downstairs, asking him to join her for breakfast. They had to eat quick, Faraway was named that for a reason, and they had to be home before too long. School night. Before leaving, he grabbed the only 2 things he needed to bring with him. Basil's photo album, which he kept it safe, after all this time, with the hope of being able to look through it with his friends once more. That, and a bundle of flowers. White egret orchids.

The trip was uneventful, for the most part. Pulling into the town, Sunny saw the old market was standing, along with all the little stores to the side. The fountain rushed with water as familiar faces walked through the parking lot. He could try to hide from these people all he wanted, but the eyepatch he wore would only give him a few precious seconds before everyone knew who he was. If he was lucky, he thought, they'd be so disgusted they decide to kick them out of town. Pulling into the neighborhood that was his home for 16 years, he didn't know where he was going. After his mom pulled over and looked at him expectedly, he figured out she hadn't really planned anything either.  
In an act of rebellion, Sunny simply gazed out the window, pretending he never noticed his mom's plea for some direction. Turns out she was truly desperate…  
"Sunny... We're finally here. Is there anyone you want to see first?"  
"I don't want to see anyone."  
"That's a lie, Sunny."  
_She was right. Of course I wanted to see them. I wanted to know for sure that they don't forgive me, and they'll never forgive me, so I can leave and never come back._  
The silence thickened the air of the car as Sunny tried to think of something to say. Before he could act, she acted for him.  
"Let's go see Mari."

The church casted a dark shadow over the rest of the street it was on, its menacing architecture a juxtaposition from the quaint suburbia around it. Yet, there was a strange comfort in its rule. There was nobody inside the building but the priest, who was quite surprised to see Sunny and his mother walk in. Sunny was urged to move on into the back, as his mother would stand by for now, and conversate with the preacher. The air felt different at the graveyard. The light danced through the trees and painted its beautiful rays over the dead. Mari's grave was well taken care of, like all of the graves, but there was something else. Flowers decorated the ground in front of the stone, a beautiful assortment placed relatively recently. It's good to know that they still cared, at least one of them. Sunny pulled out his own flowers and placed them delicately to the right of the stone. For the 4 years following Mari's death, Sunny really was of the belief that SOMETHING killed her. Up until Kel had managed to reach out to him, Sunny pushed the truth deeper into his mind, running from it. Now, though, the truth lived with him. Burning against his soul until it was charred... Or it got used to the heat.

He hadn't forgiven himself still. How could he?

At least he learned to live with it.

Hearing the door back into the church open again, he turned around, expecting to see his mother. The bright pink hair he saw jumped out at him like spots on a leopard. Behind the strands, a face distorted by rage, eyes glaring into Sunny's very soul.  
"Happy fucking birthday. Now get the hell out of my way."  
Sunny gladly followed her order. She tried to walk past him, but stopped, just before the movement was complete. It was as if there was some forcefield stopping her from moving on. Before he could react, Aubrey swung her fist around and hit Sunny square in the back of the head, knocking him to the ground.  
"I told your mom I wouldn't punch you, but I sincerely underestimated just how much I'd want to."  
"It's okay..." Sunny struggled to get back on his feet. "I don't blame you."  
"Oh, of course you fucking don't. I'm sure you still feel very sad for yourself, you don't mind if everyone here hates you. That's what you tell yourself, right?"  
Her words stabbed into his heart like a knife, and what was coming next would twist it.  
"But you want us to forgive you. Deep down in that fucked up, broken heart of yours, you wish that we could all come together again. But that's not happening."  
Sunny couldn't get a word in.  
"Hero would do a lot more than just one punch if he saw you. You took his fucking girlfriend, and then made it look like she killed herself, causing him to lose sleep every fucking night thinking about how he could've saved her. Kel doesn't even mention you anymore. He wants to just forget about you and move on. And me? Well, I'm sure it's pretty damn obvious how I feel."  
Sunny was thanking his lucky stars he was turned away from Aubrey, hiding the tears now streaming down his pale face. His voice would give it all away, however.  
"Th-Thank you for *hic* letting me k-know. I-I'm sorry... For everything."  
He began slowly walking away before he heard the footsteps coming from behind. Expecting another beatdown, he flinched before Aubrey gently rested her hand on his shoulder and turned him around. Burying her face into his chest and giving him a warm embrace, Aubrey joined him in his orchestra of tears.  
"Wh-Why? I don't-"  
"Shut th-the hell up, Sunny. I al-"  
She took a break from her speech to take a deep breath and steady her voice.  
"I already told you it's obvious how I feel, but I guess you're too clueless to get it. I finally understand how you feel, Sunny. It took me such a long fucking time, but I understand now, and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I..."  
Sunny finally reciprocated her hug, silencing her.  
"I'm sorry too, Aubrey... And thank you."

Sunny, Aubrey, and Sunny's mother exchanged some words before they left the church. She remarked that Basil would like to see Sunny, after all this time, giving the mother and son some much needed direction on their trip. Aubrey gave Sunny one final goodbye, one final happy birthday, and a phone number. They decided to walk to Basil's house, as it was just close enough to not warrant getting back in the car, and they both still needed to stretch their legs. It was halfway to the house when Sunny saw another familiar face... Mikhael, or The Maverick, or whatever he goes by these days. Mikhael barely even spoke to Sunny before running away to tell everyone else he was in town. As he ran, he made one final remark.  
"YOUR EYEPATCH IS SUPER COOL!"  
The eyepatch was a constant reminder of his past. The things he did, no matter how much better he got at dealing with them in his mind, would always plague him in the form of his eyepatch. But other people thought it was "super cool" so at least he had that.

Basil's house was beautiful. Rustic, but still obviously well taken care of. The flowers and plants showed no signs of being neglected. It was just as Sunny remembered it. Sunny's mom left it to the boy to knock on the door himself, and he obliged. The time in between his final knock and the door enthusiastically swinging open was agonizing.

Basil and Sunny stared at each other for what felt like ages. Both eyeing the other down, taking detailed notes of the changes. Basil had kept his general look the same, but he was slightly taller now, with both at about the same height. His hair was shorter, a lighter shade of blonde than what Sunny remembered. The constant rings around his eyes were gone. He looked great. Sunny had tanned his complexion after being outside more often, and gotten some more meat on his bones, but he was still very much the same person. Basil was dead focused on his right eye, however.

What was left of it.

They both waited for each other to break the glacier of ice that had formed and was getting ever stronger, until finally Polly rounded the corner and screamed Sunny's name in excitement, breaking them out of their trance. The family was welcomed into the house, and as the mother and caretaker began their conversation, Basil and Sunny were given time to talk.  
"S-So, Sunny... How have you b-been?"  
"Fine."  
Sunny realized he just gave the worst possible answer and tried to salvage it.  
"You know, uh, for the most part. Of course, I've been doing better with therapy and all of that, but I don't really have any friends at the new place, um... It isn't easy though, obviously. How about you?"  
Basil gave him a cute smile before responding.  
"Pretty bad... I haven't talked to anyone except Aubrey and my therapist since what happened... She finally came around, you know?"  
"Yeah, we had a surprise encounter at the church. She punched me pretty hard..."  
Basil giggled.  
"And then, she told you about just how awful of a person you are before telling you she forgives you, or something."  
"Yep... she give you the same treatment?  
"Sure did."  
Sunny suddenly remembered what Basil just told him a second ago.  
"Wait, pretty bad.. I'm sorry, I-"  
"You're fine. It's really nice being able to see you again."  
"... Likewise."  
It wasn't obvious in his face, or his voice, but Sunny was more relieved to know that Basil was happy to see him than any words could describe.  
Sunny then leaned in for a hug, surprising Basil.  
After hugging for a short while, Sunny pulled away and saw Basil's face was much redder than before.  
"Th-Thanks, uh, nobody r-really hugs me, umm, like that, so I really a-appreciate it..."  
_Basil... Why did I ever leave you?_  
"Boys, We gotta figure out what we're eating later, come here!"  
Polly thankfully broke the post-hug awkwardness with her call.

Gino's pizza. Some things never change. Everyone was talking together when a knock unexpectedly hit the door.  
"Who could that be..."  
Polly was in the process of saying the words as she made her way to the window, her eyes almost bulging out of her head as she leaned over the table. She instructed Sunny to open the door. Oh boy. he got up and tried his hardest to prepare himself for what came next. he prayed to God it wasn't Hero, here to do what Aubrey promised he would, and opened the door.  
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!"  
The entire scooter gang screamed out their praises, almost giving Sunny a heart attack. Mikhael must have told everyone. Aubrey, among the group, probably told them why he was here. Without any permission, they started making their way inside, brushing past him while all giving him their own personalized hello.  
Mikhael told him, again, that his eyepatch was "rad."  
Kim gave him a card and apologized that she was the only one who managed to. That was fine, he said.  
Vance congratulated him on becoming a "big boy" and slipped a Snickers into his pocket.  
Angel gave him a high five and wished a simple happy birthday.  
Charlene ducked in through the door and handed him a single flower while giving him a comforting smile. Quiet as ever.  
Aubrey gave him a playful shove on the shoulder.  
"Happy birthday, Sunny. Again."  
Sunny let everyone settle in before thanking them all for coming. There was some short conversation between everyone, until Kim yelled over them all.  
"SO, WE GOING TO GINO'S OR WHAT?"  
Sunny was about to ask how she guessed that's what we decided, but it's the only place around. Makes sense she would've figured that out. The whole group made their way to the pizza place on foot.

Honestly, the pizza was much worse than the stuff he had at his new town, but with it came all the memories of his childhood, so Sunny didn't mind. Everyone was talking and laughing, sometimes gesturing at Sunny and including him in their conversation for a brief time before letting him return to his Italian masterpiece in front of him. Eventually, he noticed Aubrey and Basil talking with a serious look on both of their faces. Curious, Sunny got up and relocated to sit with both of them.  
"You fuckin better, man. If you don't, I swear on everyth-"  
"Aubrey, he's..."  
Aubrey turned around and saw Sunny pushing his chair in.  
"What are you folks talking about?" he asked them. He knew it was somehow about him, given Basil's comment, but what exactly he was unsure of.  
"You, obviously. You showed up out of nowhere after a year and some change, you're the talk of the town."  
_Aubrey was very matter of fact, but judging by her tone, I wouldn't get the answer I wanted._  
"Yeah, I guess that's fair."  
"Now, give us the juicy details. We wanna know how the outside world has been treatin ya."  
"Sure, but it's nothing special. I've been going to therapy, obviously, and I've been doing well in school. It's not easy trying to catch up on 2 years of high school, but I'm managing, and the teachers are understanding. I'm on track to graduate with everyone else this year."  
"I'm so proud of you, Sunny. Mari-"  
Basil paused.  
"Mari would be proud of you."  
Silence for a moment.  
"Yeah, she would." Aubrey agreed.  
"Yeah..." Sunny added.  
"Sorry for bringing the mood down, I didn't-"  
"You didn't do anything wrong, Basil. It's okay." Sunny reached out to him. He seemed comforted by that.  
"Anyways, that's my life. Basil, I wanna hear more about you."  
"O-Oh, I've been doing... Not the greatest... Like I already told you. But that's okay, it's okay to not be okay. That's what my therapist always tells me. Telling people how I really feel instead of pretending I'm okay... It feels great."  
Aubrey chimed in with her own comments.  
"Yeah, he's complainin to me at every chance he gets. Not that I mind, hehe."  
"Haha, yeah, I guess I do... Thanks for giving me the opportunity, Aubrey."  
A pause to recollect his thoughts.  
"Anyways, I've also been doing well in school. I've taken up photography again. Do you wanna see some pictures?"  
Sunny happily agreed. He pulled out a small notebook from his inner jacket pocket and began pointing out a few photos.  
A calm river. A sunset over a small town. The imposing power lines casting a shadow over a road. Not a single one had any people in it.  
"What happened to all the portrait photography, Basil? Those were my favorite pictures you took." Sunny was curious.  
"Well, I d-don't really like taking pictures of strangers, and I don't have a friend group to take pictures of, so..."  
"Why not take pictures of Aubrey?"  
Aubrey started laughing jovially.  
"HAHA, yeah Basil, I can be your gorgeous model. I can strike a few poses, and I've got plenty of outfits."  
"S-Sorry, I only take pictures of people when they don't know, remember?"  
"Right..." we both responded in sync.  
For a moment, I considered grabbing the old photo album from the car and bringing it in. But I still needed to see for myself... If we could bring those 2 in to look at it with us.  
"How about you, Aubrey? What are you up to?"  
"Ah, same old same old... Bashing in skulls and taking names."  
They all fell quiet for a moment.  
"Holy shit guys, I was joking. Do you really think that- never mind. Don't answer that."  
Sunny and Basil both giggled.  
"For real though, I'm still hanging out with the gang, but I pulled myself together on the education front. If you consider barely passing pulling it together. I'm planning on getting a job as soon as I graduate, and then me and Kim are gonna move in together.  
"That's nice. Not too far away, I hope. Judging from what I've heard so far, Basil appreciates your company."  
"I'll be f-fine-" Basil tried to respond before getting interrupted by Aubrey.  
"I'll be visiting every day! I'll walk across states if I have to!"  
"... Thanks, Aubrey." Basil admitting defeat with that comment.  
It was comforting for Sunny to know that Basil was being taken care of by Aubrey, in his absence.  
A ding came from the doorbell positioned behind Sunny. he ignored it at first assuming it was just any other person... But this had to happen eventually.

"Well, well, well. Everyone's here." Kel's bombastic voice echoed throughout the room as everyone except Sunny turned to him.  
"What's with all the looks, fellas? I-"  
A sudden stop in his voice. Sunny knew why.  
"... Sunny, that you?"  
I turned around. Kel was taller, but he was the same Kel. He wore a varsity jacket with his own name on it. Guess he made it on the team.  
"Hey, Kel."  
...  
Kel slowly walks up to the counter, picks up a pizza, and begins walking out. His face is stone cold, but Sunny could tell there was a lot going on behind that expression.  
The doorbell rings again as he leaves.  
"What a prick." Aubrey loudly states.  
"Aubrey, don't say that about Ke-"  
"Why the hell shouldn't I, Basil? He's neglected you for the past year and a half. Him and Hero. I say fuck them both."  
"They're just... dealing with it... It isn't their fault..."  
"Fuck yeah it's their fault. Whatever, screw them. They don't deserve to hang with us anyway-"  
The door swung back open, almost breaking it off the hinges. Kel is there, sobbing his eyes out.  
"SH-SHUNNY!!!"  
He runs at Sunny and grabs a hold of him in the tightest hug he's ever experienced.  
"K-... Kel... Can't... Breathe..."  
Kel lets go and holds Sunny by his arms.  
"SHUNNY, I'M SHO SHORRY, I NEVER REACHED OUT, OR SHAID GOODBYE, OR ANYTHING, I-"  
Aubrey interrupts his bawling with a bonk on the head.  
"Holy shit, calm the fuck down."  
"O-OK... Alright..."  
He starts taking some deep breaths.  
Aubrey then stands up and makes her way to Kel directly. She begins talking so that only Sunny, Basil, and Kel could hear her.  
"Now you're gonna explain to me why the fuck you think you can show your face to me or Basil after abandoning us, just because Sunny's back."  
"A-Aubrey... I... To tell you the truth... I've wanted to all this time."  
"What the fuck do you mea-"  
"It's Hero. Hero said if he ever saw me interacting with Basil, he'd cut me off. After you started hanging out with him, that extended to you too... But after seeing Sunny, I couldn't help myself. I'm just so glad to see everyone else is okay."  
Obvious disgust began to distort Aubrey's face. "Are you fucking for real? He seriously told you that?"  
Basil spoke before Kel could respond. "Kel, if that's true, I'm so sorry... And I forgive you for staying distant all this time."  
"Thank you, Basil, and yes... It's true."  
"Kel." Aubrey was still mad. "Hero is at college for most of the year. Why would you-"  
"Mom and Dad would've told him. If I lied to them, they could tell."  
Hearing this clearly hurt Sunny. Kel's Mom and Dad were both so nice to him over the years... Did they really hate him as well?"  
"Bullshit they actually agree with Hero!" Aubrey was just as bewildered.  
"They just believed everything Hero told them, it's not their fault... They're just gullible."  
"And you didn't even THINK of trying to convince them?"  
"I tried, OK? I tried..."  
Aubrey eyed Kel up and down, deciding on his fate.  
"Alright. I'm still pissed at you. But I'll get over it."  
"Phew..." Kel was obviously relieved.  
"But... What happens now?" Basil was right to wonder.  
"Now? I don't really care. Sunny's here, and he's okay. That's all that matters."  
"Thanks, Kel..." Sunny tells him. Kel still cared. Another weight taken off his shoulders. Maybe this was for the best.  
Kel, at that moment, remembered why he came to the pizza place in the first place.  
"Oh, man, I forgot, I gotta get this pizza back to my family. Let's all meet at the old hangout spot later. Be there or be square!"  
They didn't get the chance to refute his offer before he was already gone.  
Basil was the first to speak up again. "Wow, Aubrey, you really forgave Kel? I'm surprised."  
"Basil, I'm not some sort of asshole. If he had a valid reason, I would've forgiven him, and his dickhead brother being a dickhead is pretty damn valid."  
It was at this point that everyone had finished eating their cuisine and started to leave. After Sunny ran the idea to meet up later tonight with his friends by his mom, the three of them split off from the group and hit the town.

"Got dark fast..." Sunny was more used to the constant lights of the bigger cities.  
"Yeah, it's getting colder... I'm gonna have to bring some of the plants in soon."  
Basil was always thinking about his plants, even still.  
"Actually, can we stop at Fix-It? I'd like to get some more fertilizer there."  
"Fine by me." Aubrey stated. Sunny agreed with a silent nod.  
As the 3 of them made their way to the store, Basil pulled out his wallet as despair fell over his face like raindrops falling down a windshield.  
"Can... Can one of you spot me?"  
"UGHHHHH" Aubrey loudly groaned. This was obviously not the first time this had happened.  
Before Aubrey could complain to Basil, Sunny stepped in. "I can handle it."  
"Hell no." Aubrey protested. "Ain't no way the birthday boy is paying for shit."  
"Please, I insist. I'm plenty well off..."  
Aubrey realized why Sunny was asking, thanking him with a silent nod.  
"Thanks a ton, Sunny. I'll try to pay you back." Basil promised.  
As the door to the store opened, Aubrey visibly curled her upper lip. "Ugh, damn smell, I'm waiting outside."  
Both of the boys looked at her with disappointment in their eyes. "Fine, have it your way." Sunny remarked before entering.  
Making their way into the store, it was as Sunny remembered it. Basil walked through the aisles with the kind of mastery only a frequent visitor could show off, knowing exactly where he was going.  
"It should be... Oh."  
Basil gazed sadly onto a very empty shelf, slowly panning his vision to the left, where an oversized bag of plant fertilizer sat.  
"I'm so sorry, I usually get a smaller bag, but..."  
Sunny told him he didn't mind, even though it did hurt when he saw the 80 dollar price tag. At least Basil will be set for a while.  
"Here, we're both gonna need to carry this. You get one side, I'll get the other."  
Sunny obliged, hoisting the top of the bag onto his lap while Basil grabbed it by it's foot.  
On the count of 3, they lifted it up and began carrying it to the counter, When Basil suddenly stopped.  
His eyes filled with terror. His lips agape, he was hyperventilating already. It was only then Sunny realized what they were doing. How similar it was to that night. Sunny had to stop a moment and clear his head. He couldn't freak out. Not now. Calm down. Remember to calm down. He had to be there for Basil.  
Basil.  
By the time he had managed to open his eyes, Basil was on the floor, hands curled around his legs as he whispered to himself. Sunny immediately threw the fertilizer to the side and embraced Basil in his arms.  
He didn't know what to say, so he just went for the first things that came to mind.  
"Calm down... It's okay... I'm here for you... It's over... Basil, It's over and its been 5 and a half years. It's okay."  
The incoherent rambling began to slowly form speech again.  
"S-Sunny, I-Is that, y-you? P-please don't g-g-go... *hic* please... I need you..."  
"I won't go. It's okay."  
Sunny shouldn’t have said that, and he knows it. He has to leave by tonight.  
The two of them laid there, arms locked into each other, for a while. Sunny lost count of the seconds. Basil wasn't counting. After a while, Basil loosened his grip on Sunny and receded backwards into the shelving.  
Sunny wiped the tears from Basil's face. "Are you okay?"  
"... Yeah. Thank you..."  
Sunny stood up and offered his hand to the boy.  
After the both of them were up and had their bearings collected, Basil told Sunny "I... When I said I need you, I didn't mean-"  
"It's okay." Sunny leaned in for one final hug before backing away. "It's okay." He repeated.  
They resumed their staring contest from before, which lasted until Aubrey busted the door open asking what's taking so long. Upon noticing both of the boys’ eyes were red, she toned it down and asked what happened.  
Sunny pulled her aside. "Tell you later. Help us with this fertilizer." She agreed silently.  
After hoisting the fertilizer onto the counter with one hand, Aubrey backed off and walked towards Sunny. "What happened while I was gone?"  
"Basil, he..." I hesitated. "Basil had a flashback, or a panic attack, or something. Me and him picked up the fertilizer, both of us holding it from one side. It was the exact same way we..."  
He couldn't bring myself to finish the words. Aubrey got the idea.  
"I'm so... I didn't want this. I just wanted to give you two time alone... I'm so sorry."  
"It's not your fault."  
_Give us time alone? First it's the smell, now she wanted to give us time alone?_  
Basil returned to them, informing them both that the cashier had been paid, and Aubrey's strength is once again required. She carried it on her back with no hesitation nor complaints, all the way to Basil's house.  
Basil was gawking at her. "Are you okay?" He asked.  
"Sure thing." She was silent for a moment. "What, are you jealous of the fertilizer bag? Sorry, can't carry both of you back to the house."  
"That's not what I meant!"  
"Sure thing, pal. Maybe ask Sunny. He needs the workout."  
Sunny looked at Aubrey, hurt. "You have a point."  
"See? Sunny, give Basil a piggyback ride back."  
Sunny didn't realize he already agreed. "O-Oh, okay..."  
He turned away from Basil and gestured for him to get on.  
Basil stood still for a moment, making minor vocalizations, trying to protest, but being unable to find the words. Reluctantly, he began climbing on.  
It was rough, and difficult, but eventually Sunny was able to get back on his feet.  
"I knew you could do it, Sunny. Now, ONWARD! HEAVE, HO!"  
Basil was, at first, pushing onto Sunny's back to create distance between the two. But as his arms got tired, he slowly brought the two closer, until Basil's cheek was lying in Sunny's hair, his arms wrapped around his neck and hands resting in front of his chest.  
Sunny could feel the heat of his face, even through the thickness of his hair.  
After making it to the house, Aubrey placed the bag on the ground, and looked at Sunny expectedly. Once she realized he couldn't confidently let Basil down without his knees failing him, she rushed over and helped Basil get off.  
"Now, you do that with a Basil shaped weight every day for a few months, and maybe you'll be as strong as me." Aubrey declared triumphantly.  
"Fuck off, Aubrey."  
"OOOOOOOOOH, SUNNY'S USING BIG BOY WORDS! You really are 18, now. Congrats."  
"Yeah, yeah..."  
Basil then grabbed onto Sunny's arm and lightly tugged him in the direction of the house. Aubrey gave a slight nod before Basil brought the both of them to the side of the house, out of sight.  
"Hey, um, I wanted to say sorry one more time, for what happened at the s-store... That sort of thing... It happens sometimes. Usually in my sleep."  
"It's okay, Basil. We went through the same hell together. I'm not ever going to hold anything like that against you."  
Basil nodded, smiling. "Thank you. And... Thanks for the ride. It was comfy."  
"Heh, no problem."  
In sync, they walked out to the front of the house to see Aubrey talking with Polly. Polly thanked her for carrying the fertilizer, thanked Sunny for buying it, then brought it inside herself.  
Aubrey, looking at the time, remembered the non-promise they made to Kel to show up at the old hang out spot.  
"The lake, huh... Had any of you been while I was gone?"  
"Nope.” Aubrey replied first. “It didn't feel right anymore."  
Basil meekly chimed in. "Well, once or twice, I have, actually." He caught a slight glare from Aubrey. "I wanted to take pictures! That's all!"  
"Whatever. Just don't trip into the lake with nobody around. Let's not keep Kel waiting."  
"Pictures... Actually, Basil, why not bring the camera?"  
"Good idea, Sunny! One second, I'll be right back."  
Just a few moments later and Basil re-emerged from the house, camera slinged over his shoulder.  
The three of them began making their way to the old park.

The air was cool on Sunny's face as him and his friends made their way to the eternal lake. Aubrey and Sunny had both asked Basil how it had been keeping, and he had good news to share. When they finally made it to the clearing, their gaze made it to the two shadows standing near the dock. Kel to the left, a somber look on his face. Only one possibility on who was next to him.  
_Kel must’ve told his family why he wanted to go to the lake, not expecting…. This…_  
The shame in his eyes confirmed Sunny’s suspicions.  
"Sunny." Hero's voice called out from across the grass.  
The same voice he heard when he told them the truth in that hospital room. It hadn't changed at all in over a year.  
"What the fuck were you thinking coming back here? Did you seriously think..." He began walking forward.  
"Did you seriously think you'd be welcome here?"  
Aubrey shifted herself in front of Sunny and Basil, arms outstretched.  
"Right. Maybe those fucking failures and drug addicts Aubrey hangs out with don't mind hanging out with a murderer and his accomplice. Them, and my dipshit brother."  
Aubrey couldn't hold it in anymore. "Your brother is 10 times the person you ended up as."  
"Oh, that's really fucking rich coming from you, underachiever. I wanna talk to Sunny."  
"Eat a dick."  
"OK. It's gonna be like that. Aubrey, I really don’t wanna hurt you, but if you don’t-"  
"YOU REALLY THINK YOU CAN TAKE ME, MOTHERFUCKER?"  
Even the idea of a fight was enough for Aubrey. She was already stepping forward. Sunny, Basil, and Kel looked at each other, before they all tried to restrain the two warriors.  
"Aubrey, stop... It's not worth it..." Sunny tried to reason with her. "Just calm down... Everything's gonna be okay." Basil's tried and true catch phrase. "Hero, stop it, you're better than this!" Kel pleaded.  
The two of them grinded to a halt in front of each other. Before anything could happen, Sunny threw himself in front of Aubrey.  
"Sunny, get the fuck back-"  
"No. Hero, you don't hate Aubrey. You hate me. Just do what you want to do... Make it quick. Please."  
The 5 of them, reunited after so long, all waited. The sounds of nature filled the air. It was almost peaceful.  
"You know, I've had a year and a half to think about what you did. And I've ran this exact moment through in my head countless times over. The things I've wanted to say to you, if we ever met again. None of that matters now."  
Sunny gulped. He knew what was coming.  
Hero's fist was shaking as he raised it into the air. Tears welled up in his eyes. Sunny closed his. Tears began falling down Hero's cheeks. His breathing was unsteady now. He threw his arm down to his side in frustration before pacing around in front of Sunny. With a yell, he put all of his force into one push, knocking Sunny flat on the ground.  
"THERE! THAT'S WHAT YOU DID, RIGHT? THAT'S HOW YOU KILLED MARI, WASN'T IT?"  
Sunny was crying now too. Not because of the fall.  
"GOD FUCKING DAMNIT, WHY THE FUCK DID THIS HAPPEN!?" Hero yelled desperately into the night sky. Everyone was crying now. Hero fell on his knees.  
Basil made his way to Sunny, embracing him. Aubrey made it next, followed by Kel. Sunny looked straight at Hero. 1 second. 2 seconds. 3. Hero began dragging himself towards the group. Basil and Aubrey let out their hands. Hero grabbed on and was pulled into the group hug.  
"I'm sorry." must've been said a thousand times in that hug. Hero to everyone. Kel to Basil. Basil to Hero. Sunny to Hero. Aubrey to Kel.  
Finally, the apologies had been accepted, and everyone broke away.  
"I'm... Gonna head home. You can stay, Kel." started walking back through the woods.  
Sunny remembered the thing he had brought. "Wait!" I yelled. "Please, wait here with everyone. I'll be right back."

Sunny was sure he had never run so fast in his life. From the hideout, to the church, and back was probably one of the longest runs you could do in Faraway. The car was unlocked, thankfully. He grabbed the album and made his way back, the cold air stinging his lungs. When he was almost there, he slowed down, and hid the memories behind his back. Making his way into the clearing, everyone looked at him, waiting for the big reveal. When they saw it, happiness hit their faces like a brick, however so subtle.  
"Oh my gosh, my album... I'm so glad you brought it!"  
Sunny placed it on the ground as everyone surrounded it.  
"My first photo! It's my best friend, Sunny... So. Many. Party hats... We're about to go to the park. Kel says there's a lake..."  
They all looked through the photos. Sometimes they laughed. A few sniffles, here and there. Before they knew it, they reached the end of the album.  
Sunny gave the book a firm shut, and let it rest in his hands for a few moments.  
"Basil... Do you want this back? Honestly, I think it's going to waste all the way out of town..."  
"No. Those memories... They belong with you. It just feels right that way."  
If he says so.  
Nobody was really sure what to do next. A familiar ruffling of bushes broke the silence as Kim made it through the tree line.  
"Oh, shit, is this a bad time? I can come back-"  
"You're fine." Hero calmed her before anyone else could. He probably figured he was the source of her discomfort. "Everyone else out there?"  
"You guessed it. YO, EVERYONE, THEY'RE OVER HERE!"  
One by one, Aubrey's gang made it into the lake. They huddled around the pink haired girl, and slowly began bringing the rest of the old friend group into their announcements. Sunny's mom had called the school and convinced them to let him skip school tomorrow. He'd be staying the night at Basil's place. Kel and Hero's parents had finally met Sunny's mom, after all this time, and they seemed to actually be getting along. Any misconceptions were being righted.  
"So, everyone... Since Sunny's staying over... We're gonna party! Right here!" Vance loudly declared. "I brought drinks!"

Every one of Aubrey's people managed to resume whatever conversations they were having back at Gino's. The broken friend group, slowly, began talking amongst them, for the most part. Hero stayed on the outskirts, sipping his cheap soda.  
Apparently, Sunny had an entire other day to talk things out. He'd rather take it easy for the rest of the night, and judging by the small glances he could get from Hero, he felt the same.  
This was made ever more obvious by Hero's departure. Just a hand on Sunny's shoulder, followed by a "Talk to you in the morning."  
After him, everyone else started disappearing into the trees. It makes sense, they probably don't have the same no school luxury Sunny had.  
Kel followed his brother back, wishing the three remaining a good night.  
It was time to go home.  
Aubrey, Sunny, and Basil walked southbound, the whistling wind drowning out their thoughts. Sunny couldn't have it end like this...  
"Aubrey. Basil."  
He, stopped, letting the two make their way in front of him before turning around.  
Throwing himself in for a hug, they had to almost catch him.  
"Thank you both, so much... For everything..."  
If it wasn't for earlier draining him of his tears, Sunny would certainly be crying by now.  
"It was the least I could do." Aubrey responded.  
"Th-Thank you..." Basil took his time. "Thank you for coming back."  
Sunny pulled away from his friends, and they continued their walks home. When they made it to the fork, Aubrey's stop, she swept behind me and grabbed Basil by both of his arms.  
"Last chance."  
Basil's expression cascaded into worry and fear. He couldn't protest before Aubrey was running home, screaming her own good night.  
Sunny immediately asked. "What was that about?"  
Basil couldn't face him. He steadied his breathing... And turned around.  
"You, uh, you know... You confessing, must have taken a lot. I'm not mad at you, or anything, for doing that... It was for the best. Neither of us c-could keep it up anymore."  
He played around with his hands nervously.  
"And, well, I never really... I didn't ever tell you... S-Something... I thought, you know, that..."  
His breathing was getting erratic, again.  
"I... I love you. And I know you probably don't feel the same way, and that's okay, you know, just, I wanted to say that, to get it off my chest, and-"  
Sunny stopped him with a hand to his cheek.  
He never really could put into words the kind of relationship they shared. It was something more than friends, certainly. As kids, they were always gravitated towards each other... But sunny never did anything more than friendly. Sunny was so much more comfortable when around Basil. He was more talkative, even if the change was slight, and the constant neutral expression he wore was softened when their gazes met. Basil went through a lot, even before everything. Sunny was a great listener to the problems he faced. It's like they understood each other, when nobody else did.  
"S-Sunny... Did I... Say something... Wrong?"  
Sunny realized he had been staring at Basil for an uncomfortable amount of time. Whoops.  
He let his face relax into a warm smile, and leaned into Basil's body. The two of them brought their lips together, as they shared their first kiss. Basil, unable to control himself, grabbed Sunny and held him as tight as he could, right up against his chest. Sunny didn't mind at all. Before, he couldn't put it into words... But now he knew. Basil said it himself. They were in love.  
_**SNAP!**_  
The two broke from their embrace in a state of suprise and confusion. Turning towards the source of the flash, they saw Aubrey smugly grinning at them, Basil's camera in hand.  
"How... When did you... I didn't even notice you take it"  
"Well, Basil, I'm also a hardened criminal with years of pickpocketing experience. You can't just be the leader of a gang and not pick a few things like that up."  
If it wasn't for her shit-eating grin, Sunny might've thought she was taking herself seriously for a second there.  
"I'm also the best fucking wingman to ever exist! I mean, seriously, just one night is all it takes for me to work my magic... You two think I can become a love doctor?"  
"... You're hopeless." Basil said what I was thinking.  
"Wow..." Aubrey was exaggerating her reaction, holding her hands over her heart. "That really stings man... Hehe. Here's your camera back. See you lovebirds tomorrow! Seriously!"  
"Lovebirds..." Sunny couldn't help but repeat that to himself. Saying it outloud made him blush.  
Basil offered his hand to Sunny, and he grabbed on for dear life.  
They looked at each other one last time before making their way to Basil's house, hand in hand, souls now bound.  
"What was I thinking... Leaving you behind. I never should've listened to those therapists..."  
Basil was fast to calm Sunny's worries.  
"No, they were right. I needed to prove to everyone, to myself... That I could live without you. And I did!"  
"I'm very proud of you for that."  
"But, that doesn't change the fact that... It makes me much happier to be here. By your side."  
They managed to pull themselves even closer, somehow, their grips tightening.  
They'd made it back. It felt even more welcoming to be in front of Basil's house now, to Sunny. Making their way into the heat of the warmly colored home they were greeted joyously by Polly and Sunny's mother, both of them clearly noticing the handholding but choosing to let it slide... For now.  
They made it back to Basil's room.  
"Last time we were here, you stabbed me in the eye."  
"Y-Yeah... Don't remind me... I'm really sorry about that, It's just-"  
"Don't worry about it. I think the eyepatch is cool."  
Basil couldn't help but laugh.  
The two of them laid in bed, arms draped over one another, as they drifted peacefully into the night.  
"I love you."  
"I love you too."


	2. I will be with you, forever.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunny is with his friends, and more importantly, with Basil, but there is one more step he must take.

The sky. The moon. The planet. The forest. The planet? That's not right. Sunny remembered what he had been told. Planets aren't that close to the ground. They aren't connected by ladders.  
He's not supposed to be here. Wake up. It's okay now, Isn't it? Basil's waiting for him now...

The light almost twinkled in the air as it punctured through the plants Basil had arranged over and around the window. Trees situated outside danced in the wind, orchestrating the sun's brilliant rays. It wasn't even the most beautiful thing in the room. Basil was still asleep, not as much of a morning person as Sunny is. He carefully slithered out from Basil's grip, softened through the hours of the night, and made his way into the kitchen. His mother was waiting for him, still curled up in a blanket, sitting on the couch. She gestured for him to sit down.  
"I'm very proud of you, for everything you were able to do."  
"Thanks, mom."  
"I really mean it. I honestly expected things to go worse... But I think this is a good outcome."  
"Yeah..." Sunny spoke, half-sighing. He had a feeling for what was coming next.  
"If you're worried about what I think of you and Basil, there's no need." His mom proved she could read his mind.  
"Yes, we went to church, but... That was mostly because of your father. I fully support you, no matter how things end up, Sunny."  
His father. Sunny's mom had barely even brought up his dad, and now she was talking about him like he was a distant friend from college. Just another person.  
Sunny was happy. It seemed he wasn't the only family member making some progress.  
"S-Sunny!" Basil stumbled out of the hallway, almost yelling Sunny's name. Relief replaced his worry as the two boys' eyes met.  
"O-Oh, Sunny... Hey..." He made his way to where he was sitting and curled up next to him.  
"I, uh... I know this is stupid, or something, but I was worried you-"  
"I wouldn't just leave you like that. Not again." Sunny understood Basil's fear and cut him off.  
"Th-Thank you..." The boy pulled himself closer into Sunny's embrace.  
Sunny's mom watched them cuddling with a smile. "Alright boys, I'm gonna get started on breakfast."

The sounds of pots and pans clanging woke Polly from her slumber, obviously begrudgingly. Definitely not a morning person... Either way, she wasn't gonna have Sunny's mom make a mess of the kitchen, and was able to direct her to what she needed to get to. Sunny overheard them talking about pancakes. Sounds good. Basil jolted out of his boyfriend's arms in a hurry, remembering something.  
"Sunny, I gotta take care of some of the plants this morning. Wanna join me?"  
Sunny nodded and followed Basil outside. The flowers smelled better than they ever had. Basil began explaining, in detail, the many intricacies of taking care of this flower, and that flower, and that plant. The words were still there, but their meaning became lost, as if he was speaking the same language as the birds singing their morning tune.  
"Sunny... Sunny!"  
Basil snapped him out of his daze.  
"Were you even paying attention? I mean, if you weren't interested, you could've just stayed inside. I wouldn't have minded."  
Sunny tried to think of a way to salvage the situation, but being put on the spot, his mind kept screaming the same stupid phrase that came to the top of his head. He decided to go for it.  
"Sorry, I was... Lost in your eyes." The most cliché thing Sunny thought he had ever said. He wasn't good at this...  
"Oh, um, alright, haha... That's fine then... Just uh, try to pay attention! This isn't the first time I'm gonna be talking to you about the plants!"  
Basil was... Blushing? No way. No way that actually worked... Basil continued his speech, as Sunny actually tried paying attention. Taking care of plants seems hard.  
"Oh, and these..." Basil had an assortment of flowers already prepared. They were familiar to Sunny, for some reason... That's when it hit him. Mari's grave. That was Basil.  
"Basil, you... You brought those flowers to Mari?"  
"Did you already see them? Well, I guess you must've, you were already there... Yeah. Yeah, I try to remember her in my own way, nowadays."  
Sunny placed his hand on Basil's shoulder. "Thank you. She'd appreciate that, I'm sure."  
Basil, with tears beginning to take shape in his eyes, slowly fell into Sunny's embrace. "D-Do you really think so?"  
"I..." Sunny hesitated, beginning to cry himself. "I'd like to think she would."  
Sunny held Basil tightly until his breathing got a chance to steady. "Good. I'm glad." the boy replied, sorrow still cursing his speech, ever so slightly depressing it.  
They had to talk about what happened sometime before Sunny left, he knew that. As much as he didn't want to, he knew it needed to happen.  
"Let's... let's go back inside." Sunny's monotone voice from years ago would've come in handy here, hiding his weakness so he could be strong for his boyfriend. Curse his therapy.

Smells of fresh pancakes coming from the kitchen refreshed their souls and allowed them a temporary break from the boulder they carried on their shoulders. The two sat down and were greeted with the American dream given shape. A very round, unhealthy shape. They enjoyed their breakfast and decided to leave for now, making their way to the park. Polly had called in sick for Basil, and the school let him off easy. Perks of being a good student with a lot of trauma. With everyone else at school, they could enjoy some time alone in the town. What they didn't expect was Hero waiting for them the moment they rounded the corner. _Almost_ everyone else would be at school... Hero already graduated.  
"Sunny. Basil." He noticed the two holding hands and murmured something under his breath, inaudible.  
"H-Hello, Hero." Sunny responded meekly.  
"Let's go to the hideout. Come on."  
The two were unable to object before Hero began storming in the direction of the park. This couldn't be good. Walking past the happy children playing felt ironic considering they felt as if they were walking into the gaping jaws of death itself, but they were simply oblivious. At least, they would be, if a few hadn't noticed the worried expressions on both of their faces. Brushing past the bushes that guarded the lake, it again felt so calm when removed from context. Hero was there, hands in his pockets, staring up at the statue. Hearing them enter the domain, he turned around and set his gaze on Sunny. "Sunny... Come here."  
Sunny couldn't help but oblige.  
"Now... I want you to punch me. As hard as you can."  
"What?" Sunny vocalized his confusion.  
"Did I stutter? Punch me. It's only fair after what happened last night."  
"I-I don't understand... Why do you want me to...?"  
"BECAUSE!" Hero screamed, focusing the two boys.  
"Because... You didn't deserve that shove. You don't deserve a whole lot of the bad shit you've had to deal with for the past 5 years. Kel helped me realize that. This isn't me forgiving you, not just yet. But I'm done hating you."  
Sunny took a step back to try to process everything that was just said. Hero didn't hate him? He doesn't deserve that, he thinks.  
"Thank you." He says.  
"Punch. Me. Now."  
Sunny looked at Basil, hoping for some advice. Basil just shrugged. Shifting his gaze back to Hero, he raised his fist, winded it back, and brought it forward into Hero's chest with all the force he could muster, accompanied with a slight yell.  
Cold silence from Hero. Not a sound. He didn't even get pushed back.  
"Is that... Seriously your hardest punch?"  
Basil watched the two without a word.  
"Right. As for you, Basil..." Hero began walking towards him, remembering his presence.  
Sunny, quick to react, participated in the race to the flower boy, only to get stopped by Hero's arm. "It's fine." He told Sunny.  
"Now Basil, you don't get to punch me. But I am..." He sighed loudly. "... Sorry. I'm sorry for neglecting you." That was clearly hard for him to say.  
Basil couldn't say a word in response before the three heard stomping coming from the direction of the park, followed by a pink blur coming into view.  
"HEROOOO!" Aubrey screamed while she ran at Hero and grabbed him by the collar. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO THEM!?"  
"Let him go, Aubrey... It's okay." Basil was quick to calm her down. "Yeah, Aubrey. Put me down." Hero added.  
Aubrey pushed him away to create some distance. "So what the hell is going on here?"  
"We were settling the score." Hero said. "You don't need to worry about me anymore. I'm... I'm just sorry, okay?"  
Silence from all parties, as Aubrey began to calm down.  
"Hero..." Aubrey called out to him softly.  
"I'm done here. Talk to y'all later." Hero spat at the three, before leaving in the same brisk way he came.  
An awkward quiet filled the air like a poison.  
"Wh... Are you two okay?" Aubrey broke the silence with her concern.  
"Yeah." Sunny replied. "He wanted me to punch him to 'be fair' or something..."  
"GOD... I can't belie-"  
"He said...'' Sunny interrupted Aubrey, and her silence implied she was okay with that. "He said he doesn't forgive me, but he doesn't hate me anymore either."  
"He also apologized to me about not being there after Sunny left." Basil added.  
Aubrey was silent for a moment. She let a single chuckle slip. "Ya know, for being the oldest and most mature, you think he'd figure out he doesn't need to be such a damn drama queen about all this... Come on. We're leaving."  
"Good idea..." Basil told her. Sunny silently agreed like normal, and followed them outside.

On their way Aubrey talked to a few of the children that were playing. They told her a guy had brought 2 people into the back of the woods, and they looked scared. Aubrey reassured them and thanked them for the tip before moving on.  
"So, what is it you're doing here, Aubrey? Shouldn't you be at school?" Basil questioned the girl.  
"I skipped class, obviously. Do you really think I'd rather sit over there then hang out with you two today?" She replied.  
"Are- Are you sure you'll be okay? I worry about your grades sometimes..."  
"I'll survive. You should be worrying about yourself, Mr. calling in sick."  
Basil blushed, trying to think of a comeback. "Well, I... I, my circumstances, you know, considering..."  
Aubrey started laughing. "Chill out Basil, I'm just messing around. All I'm trying to say is, I care about Sunny too."  
"Thank you..." Sunny replied, his voice empty. What had just happened at the lake still festered in his mind.  
Aubrey tried to distract the group from their situation by pointing out the basketball court.  
"Alright, Sunny! Yesterday, we began our training regiment with Basil shaped weights. Now, we're gonna apply it to a real sport."  
Sunny let a faint smile lighten his expression as he followed Aubrey to the two hoops. Basil sneakily pulled out his camera, which he had been hiding in his jacket pocket...

"Now, Sunny, the trick is to throw it at the apex of your jump, that way your arms don't have to work as hard throwing it to the hoop. One more try, you got this!"  
Sunny put a determined look on his face as he stepped forward and raised the ball in front of his face. Jumping into the air, he launched it forward with all of his might. The ball soared through the sky... And proceeded to bounce off the rim of the hoop with an all too familiar ding.  
Aubrey caught the ball and threw it back to the boy. "OK, we're definitely getting... Closer... Just a bit more practice!"  
"My arms are killing me..." Sunny whined.  
It was then Basil placed his camera in the grass, taking a break from his tactical espionage photography. "Let me help." He said.  
He positioned himself behind Sunny, and ran his hands along his arms until they met, grasping the ball together. Basil then pulled the ball into position, before leaning his face forward and giving Sunny a kiss on his red hot cheek. He backed away and let Sunny throw it himself. Same jump. Same throw. Instead of the all to familiar ding of the ring, there was instead a satisfying _thwoop_ of the net.  
"YOOOOO, SUNNY'S FIRST HOOP! I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT!!!" Aubrey couldn't contain her excitement and drew the gaze of all the children and parents at the park.  
Basil, more subtly, gave Sunny a full hug from behind and spoke "Good job." into his ear.  
"Oh. My. GOD that took forever, but it was all worth it... I'm hungry- are you two hungry?" Aubrey asked the boys.  
"I could eat." Basil said. "All that throwing worked me up an appetite..." Sunny added.  
"Alllrighty then! I know just the place! See you two at Gino's!"  
Some things really don't change.

Before the 2 knew it, Aubrey had rushed off to the pizza place around the corner. They slowly began making their way there. The fountain was still beautiful. Sunny wondered when they would eventually shut the thing off in anticipation of cold weather. He'd never been one for throwing coins into the water for the sake of wishes, but he still found himself stopped at the base of the fountain with a hand in his pocket. He pulled out a nickel and flicked it deep into the middle of the falling water without thinking. It was after the fact that he decided on his wish. He just wanted his friends to be happy. He wanted Basil to be happy. They deserved it, he thought.  
"Wishing for something?" Basil asked.  
"Yeah. I don't think I'm supposed to tell you what it is though, sorry..."  
"Don't worry, I wasn't gonna ask."  
Sunny noticed him throw his own coin into the water. "Here's to hoping they both come true..." said Basil.  
"Right..." Sunny said back.  
Aubrey then poked her head out from the door, looking frantically in all directions before landing on the 2 boys. "What's taking you so long? I already got the food set up." She said, grinning.  
"Oh, you didn't have to..." Basil was cut off by Aubrey.  
"Don't worry, it's being put on your ever growing tab. Now come on!"  
Sunny noticed Basil hesitating, grabbing his hand and pulling him forward into the pizza place. When they both reached the entrance, they discovered the source of Aubrey's enthusiasm. There was nobody else inside the building. Even the man always seen working the counter had vanished. All of the lights had been dimmed, creating a never before seen atmosphere in the building. A single candle lit one of the tables, where 2 plates of pizza sat, waiting to be consumed.  
"Now... You two have fun with your date. I'm eating outside." Aubrey stated, sitting down on the newly installed chairs just outside of the building.  
"Thank... Thank you so much for this." Sunny said with a smile. Aubrey simply winked and began eating.  
The two boys made their way inside and sat down at their pre-chosen seats.  
"So, uh... Gino's, huh... Sorry, Sunny, I'm sure you're more used to a varied palette now..." Basil was right in his assumption, but Sunny didn't mind.  
"It's okay." Sunny said, moving his hand over Basil's. "After Aubrey went through all the trouble, I'll eat whatever. As long as it's with you."  
Basil blushed and began eating his slice, and Sunny did the same. It tasted like it was the first time he had ever eaten there.

They finished the pizza without any more words. The awkward silence was starting to get to Basil, as he fidgeted around in his chair. "Oh, Sunny, I was taking pictures while you were practicing with Aubrey! Wanna see them?" Sunny smiled and nodded. He brought out the photos he had been keeping secret up until now and began describing them. They all had Sunny set as the focus of the piece, with Aubrey or the game a simple backdrop. Sunny holding the ball, scrunching his face as he carefully decided on the right way to throw it. Sunny catching a fast throw from Aubrey, looking surprised. Sunny in the process of jumping into the air, going for his shot.  
"You're so handsome, you know? You're very easy to photograph." Sunny blushed at Basil's comment. He wasn't used to praise.  
Th-Thank you, Basil... You're... You are... Cute." Was all Sunny was able to stutter out. He physically cringed afterwards, aware of his awkwardness.  
Basil gave him his trademark warm smile as he ran out of photos to share. "Let's go check on Aubrey." He said.  
"Sure." Agreed Sunny.  
The two made their way outside, looked to the right, and... Gone. The only evidence she was ever there was a plate with grease stains all over it, and a used napkin.  
"She, uh... Couldn't have gone, far, right?" Basil stammered. "I'm sure she's fine, Basil." Sunny tried to calm him down.  
Right on queue, the door to Othermart opened as Aubrey walked out. Sunny caught a glance from Kim behind her, before Aubrey could push her back into the store.  
"H-Hey guys! Sorry, I was getting a, uh... A drink. Yes, I was thirsty." Aubrey said nervously.  
"Where's the drink then?" Sunny asked her.  
"I WAS THIRSTY. I DRANK IT." She snapped at him. "Sorry. That came out loud, just... Go back inside, pretty please?"  
"We're done with pizza though."  
"But the _date_ isn't over. Not yet. Now go back!"  
"Come on." Basil said while giggling. "Let's see what else she has in store."  
Sunny was silent as Basil half pushed him back inside. They retook their seats, eagerly awaiting whatever it was Aubrey had up her sleeve. A few excruciating minutes more, and the back door to the kitchen slammed open as Aubrey and the entire scooter gang waltzed out carrying a huge cake.  
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!" They all screamed. Basil gasped in excitement, joining the choir as Sunny groaned.  
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR SUNNY... HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!" They placed the monstrosity of a cake in front of him and gestured towards the pre-lit candles on top of it. Sunny sighed before taking his time to blow them out, and everyone clapped in response.  
"I guess you get two wishes today." Said Basil. "Yeah..." Sunny replied. "For this one, I just never wanna hear that song again."  
"A-A-A, You said the wish! Now it'll never come true! I'll be singing you happy birthday till the day I die!" Aubrey exclaimed.  
"I literally could not think of a worse fate if I tried." he murmured.  
"Sorry pal, we all put up with it." Kim was sympathetic to his birthday blues.  
"And sorry this cake is late." Mikhael added. "I asked my family at the bakery, a cake this huge was just too much on such short notice."  
The door then swung open as Kel ran into the room. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR- I missed it didn't I." Everyone laughed. "Sorry, Kel, shouldn't have talked to your basketball pals for so long after school." Aubrey remarked smugly. It was then Basil and Sunny both looked at the time and realized school let out. Apparently it was planned for them to bring them there from the beginning...

The cake was fantastic. All the stuff made by that bakery was good, Sunny remembered. It had just been forever since he had been able to try it. It wasn't before long, however, that Aubrey couldn't keep the entire restaurant under her control. The clerk resumed his position at the desk, signalling her that time was up.  
Everyone except the 4 friends parted ways, heading back into the direction of the neighborhood.  
The 4 then decided to hang out at the fountain, dragging some of the chairs from outside over temporarily. Basil and Sunny sat at the chairs together, as Kel and Aubrey leaned on the fountain wall.  
"So... Did you two talk to Hero this morning?" Kel asked the two boys.  
"What, did you know that he was going to seek them out?" Aubrey asked.  
"Yeah. It was actually my idea!" He stated proudly. Aubrey then banged her fist onto his head.  
"H-Hey, what was that for!?" He exclaimed.  
"Did you also give your brother the fine idea of forcing Sunny to punch him? Or were you the one who decided he would tell Sunny he doesn't forgive him?"  
"No! Of course not! All I said was that he should try to talk to them both before Sunny left... Sorry, Sunny..."  
"It's okay. I know he doesn't hate me or Basil, at least." Sunny replied.  
"But it's not right for him not to forgive you! We all forgive you, for everything!" Kel exclaimed.  
Sunny felt the words trying to break through his lips. "You shouldn't." He thought. He didn't mean to whisper that, as well.  
"W... What?" Kel asked.  
"You... Shouldn't... Forgive me."  
The group fell quiet.  
"I don't forgive me."  
"Sunny, please-" Kel was cut off.  
"Mari wouldn't forgive me."  
"WHO CARES!? Mari's DEAD!" Kel yelled back.  
"KEL!" Aubrey screamed at him.  
"Sunny, it's not right to not forgive yourself because of that! Mari's gone, and there's nothing we can do ab-"  
"KEL, SHUT. THE FUCK. UP."  
Basil, in the madness, tried reaching out to Sunny only for him to push his chair back, a horrified expression on his face. The screech of the chair on the stone brought the two that were arguing back to the reality of the situation.  
"Sunny, hey-" Aubrey was cut off by Sunny making a mad dash south, away from the group.

It didn't feel this cold outside before. At any moment, Sunny felt as if the wind could knock him to the ground as his frail body split into pieces. He didn't know where he was going, he was just trying to get away. Walking on autopilot, he made it to the church, tears in his eyes. He stumbled through the door and made his way into the backyard. No more sunlight. Just clouds. Focusing intently on his sister's gravestone, he kneeled over the grass and broke down. The last time he remembered breaking down like this was in that hospital room. What happened after that? It was all a blur. The only thing he remembered was Basil's smile... Tears fell through quick, shortened breaths, falling delicately onto the bed of flowers below.  
"Mari... I... I'm so sorry... I didn't..."  
He didn't notice someone was behind him until he felt Basil's soft touch on his shoulder. The two looked at each other for a mere second before Sunny dragged the rest of Basil down to the ground so he could fall into his embrace, crying into his shoulder.  
"I... I... I killed her... She hates me..."  
Basil just kept patting his back and rubbing his hair.  
"I don't... _hic_ deserve... Forgiveness..."  
Basil was still silent. Sunny finally joined him. After an eternity of tears had soaked through Basil's jacket, he brought his lover up on his feet.  
"Kel sort of had a point, you know? He always seems to be one step ahead, but he doesn't know how to communicate it."  
Sunny quietly stared at his feet.  
"Mari's gone... There's nothing we can do... It hurts to think about, but that's all objective fact. We're never gonna know how she feels about us... Or what we did. We have to rely on each other, now."  
Basil stared into Sunny's watery eyes. "Do you forgive me?" He said.  
Sunny spoke without hesitation. "O-Of course."  
"How does it feel to know that I don't? That I hate myself for what I did?"  
"I... It... It hurts..."  
"That's how I feel about you... It hurt a lot to hear that. For me, and everyone else there."  
Basil brought Sunny in for a hug.  
"It's gonna be hard... But we can't keep hating ourselves forever. They deserve better, We-"  
He paused, as his voice began breaking into tears.  
"We deserve better. You deserve better..."  
Sunny had been told that by so many people over the years. Different therapists, teachers, and even his own mother... None of their words mattered. He didn't believe them. Maybe, though... Given enough time... He could believe Basil. Sunny broke down into tears again, as Basil carried him back into the church, where the rest of his friends save for Hero were waiting for him. Kel was the first to speak.  
"Sunny, I am... So, so sorry for what I said, it was insensitive, and-" He was cut off by Sunny gently transferring his hug from Basil to him. Aubrey placed her hand on Sunny's shoulder and gave it soft, melodic pats, as Basil made his way to the door.  
"You had us wait for you last night, Sunny. Now you just wait here for me, OK?" He said with a smile before walking out.

* * *

Basil walked home, the cold wind blowing against his back, pushing him forward. He had made this same trip hundreds of times, but there was a brand new weight to it now. He was surprised with how well he was able to speak to Sunny, back at the church... Maybe finally being with him is giving him a confidence boost, he thought.  
With a newfound energy he began walking faster to his destination. The flowers swayed gracefully, and inside his garden, he hid his special assortment that he bundled together for Mari. He always used as many flowers as he could at once... Seeing each one as a person, bound together in her name.  
He turned back and rushed towards the church once more. It was when he was at the southern crossroad that he heard Hero's voice call out to him like the boom of thunder.  
"Basil."  
Basil stopped and turned towards the boy. "H-Hero." So much for that confidence.  
"It's pretty funny, you know... Some 12 year old kills his sister by accident. Then, his fucking psycopath friend gives him the idea that there was a ghost behind him that did it, and had the brilliant fucking idea of tying her corpse to a tree to stage it as a suicide... To protect him. Good intentions, right?" He spoke the last part with a tinge of sarcasm.  
"One year. For almost one year of my life, I was a broken husk because I thought the person I loved killed herself, and I was blind to her pain. The three years after that were fine, but then, Sunny had to come crawling out of his hole to tell us all the truth of what you and him did. How fucking stupid you two were... I was never going to forgi-"  
He took a break as his voice cracked. "Never going to forgive you. But then Sunny comes back... And everyone else seems happy... And I see the person who hung Mari bringing flowers to her grave. Not me... I haven't been since that picnic with Sunny. But you were there for her, weren't you?"  
His silence implied he expected an answer from Basil. "Ye... Yeah, I guess, I... I just know that flowers were, uh, all I was ever good at, so... It just seemed right."  
Tears fell from Hero's cheeks as his gaze remained unbroken. "It cool if I come with, this time?"  
Basil was obviously shocked, but the shock was able to melt away into a smile. "Sure thing. Sunny and everyone else is there too, so play nice, okay?"  
Hero chuckled. "Gotcha."  
The two walked side by side the rest of the way.

* * *

Light shined through the door once more as 2 figures entered, approaching Sunny and his friends. Basil was back, and...  
"Hero? Is everything okay?" Kel asked.  
"Yeah. I'm fine." He said back, with some small hint of relief in his voice. He sat down next to Sunny and reached his arm over his shoulder, giving him an awkward half hug. "Sorry, for this morning. And for everything. I've been a real piece of shit friend, haven't I?"  
Sunny leaned into Hero. "We both have." He responded coldly.  
"Tell you what, then. I'll forgive you if you forgive me."  
Sunny took a moment to contemplate.  
"Deal."  
The two shared a handshake before Basil appeared before Sunny, offering him the flowers. "Let's do it together." Basil said. Sunny placed his hands over Basil's as they both carefully brought the bundle back outside. A single ray of light pierced the clouds, for just a moment, seemingly landing on Mari's resting place.  
They continued their stride as the rest of the group trickled in behind them. When the walk was complete, they kneeled down in unison and leaned it against the front of the grave. Before Basil could sit back and admire his work, Sunny stopped him and grabbed the orchid he had placed the previous day, tucking it gracefully inside Basil's assortment. He then gave Basil a slight kiss on the cheek.  
"It fits it well." Basil said. Sunny let the two rise from their positions, as they turned around and faced their friends. Sunny began making steps to depart, before Hero reached out his arm, stopping the boy.  
"I, uh... Made some sandwiches." Hero said, pulling out a compact picnic basket. "If you're hungry."  
Sunny accepted the offer with a smile, and a single tear welling up in his one eye. "Thank you." Was all he needed to say.  
The 5 enjoyed a picnic together, as the clouds began to part overhead.

The final words of his friends echoed through Sunny's mind as he gazed over the farmland surrounding Faraway. Long car ride... He had a while to think.  
"You better visit often! The Sunny training regimen has only just begun!" Aubrey said almost threateningly.  
"Yeah, it was great to see you again! Maybe we can come over to where you live sometime?" Kel was obviously unaware of how small the new home was, comparatively.  
"Call this number if you need anything. I'm here for you." Hero said calmly, handing him a phone number.  
"I'll always be thinking of you, Sunny... I love you." Basil's statement repeated over and over in his head. "I love you too." Sunny remembered saying before leaning in for a kiss.  
He was sad that he had to leave Basil, but... He wasn't really leaving Basil. Not this time. The connection that had been severed all those years ago had finally been restored, even stronger now than it was before. Sunny would never let himself lose Basil again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wasnt originally going to make a chapter 2 but the first one got so much love that i was motivated to keep it going. (i wanna use these notes as an opportunity to thank each and every one of you who gave it a chance, by the way. it really was my first time uploading any sort of vaguely artistic work online and getting over 100 likes on it is just astonishing to me, so thank you all so, so much!) again, feel free to tear me a new one in the comments, feedback is always welcome!


End file.
